A zoo in northern Denmark is asking pet house owners to donate their unwanted guinea pigs, rabbits, chickens and even small horses – not to put them on show however to feed them to the zoo’s predators.
The Aalborg Zoo wrote in a Facebook post that it’s making an attempt to “imitate the natural food chain of the animals”.
“Chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs form an important part of the diet of our predators,” it wrote within the put up alongside a picture of openmouthed, sharp-toothed lynx.
“That way, nothing goes to waste — and we ensure natural behavior, nutrition and well-being of our predators,” the zoo added.
On its web site, the zoo said the donated animals will likely be “gently euthanized” by educated workers earlier than being served up as food. The zoo is residence to carnivorous predators such because the Asiatic lion, European lynx and Sumatran tiger.
The zoo’s public request has drawn full of life debate on-line with some protesting the thought of turning pets into prey, and others praising the zoo’s efforts to keep pure feeding behaviors.
Deputy director of Aalborg Zoo, Pia Nielsen, stated in an emailed assertion the initiative has been in place for years and is frequent follow in Denmark.
“For many years at Aalborg Zoo, we have fed our carnivores with smaller livestock. When keeping carnivores, it is necessary to provide them with meat, preferably with fur, bones, etc to give them as natural a diet as possible,” Nielsen stated.
“Therefore, it makes sense to allow animals that need to be euthanized for various reasons to be of use in this way.”
“In Denmark, this practice is common, and many of our guests and partners appreciate the opportunity to contribute. The livestock we receive as donations are chickens, rabbits, guinea pigs, and horses.”
Carnivores fill a central area of interest in ecosystems, Nielsen added, saying they play an important function within the steadiness of nature.
It’s not the primary time that Denmark’s zoos have come below scrutiny for the best way they feed their animals and management populations.
In 2014, the Copenhagen Zoo within the Danish capital euthanized a wholesome younger giraffe named Marius to keep away from inbreeding, regardless of a petition making an attempt to cease the transfer. Its carcass was used partly for analysis and partly to feed carnivores at the zoo – lions, tigers, and leopards.
Weeks later, public criticism flared once more when the zoo euthanized four of those lions, to make method for a brand new male in hopes to breed a brand new era of cubs.